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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spell — letters
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rash — a series
  19. season — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. firm — decided
  23. season — of the year
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com